Very Good $2.00 Homemade Antenna For HDTV

[avg1joe]

Does this mean that the total clothes hanger length for each V will be 23.66 inches?

It sounds like we are on the same page. Try it and let me know how it works out. This is supposed to be a uhf only antenna. Is the reason it is good for only uhf because of the V lengths? Could it be used for vhf by changing the length?

Are 10, 13, 15 the real channels? I think uhf starts at channel 14 but I receive channel 6.1 in the uhf band because its real channel number is 44. You can find your real channel numbers on tvfool.com. If 10 and 13 are really vhf this antenna may not work for those channels but its worth trying.

I've been looking at other antenna designs. Yesterday I tried a 5 foot length of wire formed into a circle with a balun connecting the ends of wire. When formed into a circular shape this simple antenna worked remarkably well in comparison to the coat hanger antenna.

My next project will be a gray-hoverman.

 

[Don_M]

That's a good idea about the cookie racks! I'll have to try that on the next antenna I build - and also on the one at the beach house when I get back down there. How did you connect the cookie racks to the antenna?

Hi. A little background: I built this antenna on a 3/4" thick by 3 1/2" wide plywood scrap and initially stapled the racks to the back of it. This weakened the antenna greatly, as the racks were only about an inch behind the eight diploes. So I took the racks off, screwed a 2x4 onto the back of the plywood and then stapled the racks to the back of the 2x4, for a depth of about 3". The result was much better.

I used a staple gun, but the racks wobble a little bit when attached in this way. I've been meaning to replace the staples with screws and washers. Four well-placed screws/washers per rack ought to stop the wiggle.

 

[avg1joe]

I built a Gray-Hoverman single bay antenna earlier today using 16 guage steel wire I picked up at the hardware store as an element. I compared it to the coat hanger antenna and the Gray-Hoverman appeared slightly better. I was comparing them without any reflector on either antenna.

 

[zzandrewst]

It sounds like we are on the same page. Try it and let me know how it works out. This is supposed to be a uhf only antenna. Is the reason it is good for only uhf because of the V lengths? Could it be used for vhf by changing the length?

Are 10, 13, 15 the real channels? I think uhf starts at channel 14 but I receive channel 6.1 in the uhf band because its real channel number is 44. You can find your real channel numbers on tvfool.com. If 10 and 13 are really vhf this antenna may not work for those channels but its worth trying.

I've been looking at other antenna designs. Yesterday I tried a 5 foot length of wire formed into a circle with a balun connecting the ends of wire. When formed into a circular shape this simple antenna worked remarkably well in comparison to the coat hanger antenna.

My next project will be a gray-hoverman.

It seems that you are right about those not being the actual channel numbers - 10 is actually 41, 13 is actually 56 and 15 is actually 16. I never knew that the actually channel numbers differ from what the virtual number is. It appears that all of the channels that I would be interested in are all UHF.

Where are there instructions for making the gray-hoverman antenna? I would like to check out the design for this antenna.

Which antenna do you think would be best for me to pick up my locals (43 miles away) I also have several large trees near my house.

 

[roashru]

Attached is a picture of my home made wire hanger antenna its not the same style as most posted but size for performance ratio is very good. Its a frequency averaged 1.5 foot loop with 1/4 inch tabs for soldering epoxy to prevent the wires from breaking and about 2.5 feet of ultra low loss 300 ohm wire then a standard (opened and checked the wiring) 300 to 75 ohm transformer at the end. I use this almost all the time. Most distance used was in Walcott, IA watching Des Moines, IA analog TV stations!.

 

[avg1joe]

The Gray Hoverman is at:
Design of The Gray-Hoverman Antenna - Digital Home Canada

The nice thing about this is the designer has apparently given permission for people to make their own.

 

[Don_M]

Hi. A little background: I built this antenna on a 3/4" thick by 3 1/2" wide plywood scrap and initially stapled the racks to the back of it. This weakened the antenna greatly, as the racks were only about an inch behind the eight diploes. So I took the racks off, screwed a 2x4 onto the back of the plywood and then stapled the racks to the back of the 2x4, for a depth of about 3". The result was much better.

I used a staple gun, but the racks wobble a little bit when attached in this way. I've been meaning to replace the staples with screws and washers. Four well-placed screws/washers per rack ought to stop the wiggle.

Follow-up: I pretty much cured the wiggle by tying together the two racks with six 4-inch sections of bare copper wire. It increased gain slightly, made the antenna more directional, and improved its VHF-high capability somewhat.

One anomaly: Channel 7 analog is practically clear now, while channel 9 analog is unwatchable. They were both very snowy prior to this tweak. The stations broadcast from the same location and at the same power. Their digital channels, at 17 and 16 respectively, both come in fine.

 

[gpat]

I made a 2 bay today and will test it out tomorrow .
it is leaning against the house right now and is getting about the same as my best indoor one.
I hope it kicks when I put it up in the air.

 

[gpat]

update still havent put it in the air but I noticed its lost channel 2.1 which is channel frequency 11. So I guess since this is the only VHf channel ,I need something tuned for channel 11.Anyone know what size the element needs to be for channel 11?

 

[gpat]

got it.
J lenght is 42x14
1.3 spacing,1.44 tap

Edit:
just finished my channel 2.1(frequency channel 11,198-204 Mhz)
addition to my antenna and it kicks a**
Wish the rest of the channels were that good.

 

[dish_in_the_sky]

I'm working on one...

I too found the double bay Gray-Hoverman antenna design. I'm making mine out of 12 AWG copper wire for the driven elements and chicken wire for the screen.

With three small kids and some house remodeling, it's going slow, but I'll get there.

I already have a VHF-only antenna up on the roof, and *this* antenna should get almost everything in the region on UHF.

A big antenna outside is always best for reception--it's easier to attenuate, but harder to get more signal. And amplifiers do have a noise floor which is often higher than the antenna's thermal noise (or the sky noise).

 

[gpat]

I built 3 antennas
a double Gray-Hoverman using galvanized 12 gauge wire and 10 AWG copper in between ,and 2 Jpoles.
The 2 Jpoles work better but I tuned them to a specific frequency so I could get the farthest transmitters.
Im still missing a couple of UHF stations that my neighbor can get with his OTA flying saucer thingy.

 

[gpat]

Just hooked up the smallest J pole 20 ft in the air added the amp in line
and turned on the FM trap and vovola Im getting all channels.
We'll see how good it is tomorrow during the bright sunlight.

 

[gpat]

MY wife says the homemade Gray-Hoverman has to go,wont let me put any antennas on the roof,10 ft BUD is enough,so Im struggling with a J pole mounted in a tree top.
If anyone wants it its here for free. Im near UCF in Orlando.

 

[yourbeliefs]

Maybe I should work on making something like that. Thing is I'm so horrible at building stuff. Also now that I have all my locals on D* it isn't a big deal to have my locals on OTA. Of course, I have noticed that in bad weather, my HD Locals are the first thing to go on my dish, so I'll see.

 

[AllenAllen]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience. TO be clear I'm talking about the Digital signal only.

I build one of the coat-hanger antennas (with the 7" V prongs (a 14" wire bent in half)). I join it with a rabbit ears amplified antenna with a splitter. I have this in the basement (walk out basement). I get everything above 7 (actual channel) very strong. If I un-hook the home-made, I get 7 (which is 8.1 NBC) just strong enough to lock (35 on the meter). If I don't unhook the home-made then it is 0-4 in strength. I'm reall shocked that the damn ugly thing I built, works. I was getting PBS and some other ok before but now it is in the 60's 70's -- a real lock. Of course the kook religious channels come in with the highest strength. :-( The higher up into UHF the channel, the better that antenna seems to work.

Well that's my experience. After Feb, when CBS moves up some, I should get that as well (now it is real channel 2 and I don't get even a hint of it). It is going up to 8 or 9 or something (I forget).

Later! One parting word... it does take longer than you'd think to prep and construct that antenna. I just lean it up against the wall on top of the TV -- again... looks stupid. I didn't add a reflector. I followed a video on You-Tube. I wasn't too awfull careful about anything in the construction except to sand off the paint where it make contact.

 

[Bulbman2]

HOME MADE UHF ANTENNA

I made a uhf antenna similar to the hoverman gray. I used a piece of plywood for a backing and attached roof flashing for a reflector.

I have a cm 4228 with a 7777 amp and a rotor at another house and works fantastic.

the home made antenna is actually closer to the transmitters but is missing some stations that the 4228 does receive.
My guess is that the 7777 amp is the difference as well as the 4228 is on the roof and the homemade is in the attic- oh well it was fun constucting the homemade and giving it a try

John